Mixed Media Art Journaling

The way of the artist makes room for rest, for inspiration, for freedom of expression. It's a reflection of the inner person, a chance to breathe, to connect, to focus. 

Art is an addiction, and today I was able to feed that addiction just a little. And gee was it nice. Just to stop. To relax, to get messy fingers. To free designs, colours and images that have been swirling around on the canvas of my mind.

I attended a local mixed media journal class, and while mixed media journaling isn't new to me, it has been a good few months since I've had the pleasure of enjoying it's creative freedoms.

Today Gelato's and spray ink held my attention, and I found myself delighted with their ease of use, their colour vibrancy and their forgiving nature when I made mistakes! It's safe to say that mixed media journaling is something I'm definitely going to continue with!

Words are an important part of the mixed media journaling process for me, and I'm always needing to include something that is deep and holds a lot of personal meaning. I feel my work isn't complete until the right words are woven into each piece. 

After completing my artwork today, I realized that I'm actually not going to add it to my journal, but frame it instead. I don't think I could bare cutting it in half to stick it in my journal! 

I'm looking forward to next Friday (I hope I can wait that long!) for the next journal class ...

I wonder what we'll create?!

First Ever Art Competition!

Our home is a busy little creative hub at the moment ... and I love it! My two girls and I have decided to enter into a local art competition for the first time! We're very excited to have the opportunity to be involved in something like this, and we're looking forward to seeing all the entries and having a great opening night next Friday night!

There are four sections to enter; art, photography, sculpture and ceramics, and children's art. We're entering all apart from sculpture and ceramics.

For us, it doesn't matter about winning or losing. It's about gathering with like-minded artists, sharing our work, encouraging each other, drawing inspiration from each other, and giving my daughters an opportunity to be encouraged creatively by people other than their Dad and Mum.

These are our finished entries ...

Top is a photograph taken by my eleven year old when she was ten, "Autumns Beauty".
The bottom pic is her first abstract piece. Acrylic on canvas, "Summer Time".

This piece was created by myself. "Moving Forward"

Another abstract piece created by myself. 
Acrylic on canvas with Gold Leaf "Reflections"

My photograph titled "Ollie Boy".

Above photograph taken by myself, "Dew Drop".
Bottom piece created by my eight year old daughter, "Diamonds"

A photograph taken by myself, "Morning Glory"

Above and below images are a triptych that my eleven year old took,again when she was ten.
If you look closely, you can see the beautiful
little bumblebee she's captured in each piece!
"All in a Days Work"

My little artists! They are very excited to be entering the competition! I'm so happy to be entering along side them!

My eleven year old ... "Summer Time"

My eight year old ... "Diamonds"

"Autumns Beauty"

"All in a Days Work"

Now all that's left to do is drive them to the art gallery so they can be displayed with all the other amazing artworks that will be entered! It really is going to be such a fantastic experience, and we can't wait!

So, you'll have to keep popping in to see how it all pans out!

Happy creating everyone!

'Moving Forward' ... A Mixed Media Canvas Piece

I spent six hours today working on this mixed media canvas piece. I've only just begun creating mixed media art and I'm hooked! I have still got so much to learn though. When I posted it to my FB page, I received mixed responses, what do you guys think? I am happy with the end result ...

... 'Moving Forward'

Mixed Media Canvas Art

Yesterday I had a blast creating my first two Mixed Media artworks! I had paint all over my fingers and the floor (and on my clothes!), but it was just so relaxing and therapeutic! The best thing about mixed media is that you don't necessarily have to do a whole heap of thinking ... you just get to create and it turns out however it turns out!

Here's the first one I made ... Mixed Media Canvas 'Elegance' ...

 

I am very happy with this piece! I really love the blues and yellows, the design and the texture!

The next piece that I created I wanted to steer away from my normal blue/green/yellow/turquoise choices; create something in colours I'm not used to using. So I decided on purple. 

I think it ended up turning out really well, even though I'm still not completely sold on purple! It was good to give myself a small creative challenge.

Mixed Media Canvas 'Paris' ...

I found creating these pieces were very quickly addictive! I'm already thinking and planning on more to create (I have a couple of 'themes' in mind) and I'm very excited to begin!

Have you given yourself a little creative challenge at all lately? If not, maybe you could try one of these ...

• paint a small piece using a brand new medium that you find difficult
• create a piece using different tones/shades of the one colour only
• paint using a colour you actually don't really like
• see if you can use a different technique than ones you normally use
• create an artwork that is a completely different style than you normally go for

However you create, whatever you create, just remember your art is unique to you. Don't stress about others opinions, just enjoy your creativity and let it out!

Have a fun, creative week!